Manipur, July 14, 2023: R. Vanramchhuanga, the Vice-President of the BJP in Mizoram, has resigned from his position, citing the indifferent attitude of Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah towards the Christian community in the violence-stricken state. Vanramchhuanga submitted his resignation letter to the Mizoram state BJP President, Vanlalhmuaka, on Thursday.

In his resignation letter, Vanramchhuanga expressed his concern about the recent outbreak of ethnic conflict in Manipur, stating that numerous Christian churches, pastor quarters, and office buildings were burned by Meitel militants. He criticized both Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their failure to address these incidents. Vanramchhuanga further noted the lack of condemnation from the Central government regarding the burning of Christian churches. Citing the perceived support of state and Central authorities for the destruction of Christian churches, he decided to resign from his position as Vice President of the BJP Mizoram Pradesh in protest against the injustice inflicted upon Christians and the Christian religion.

When contacted by IANS over the phone, Vanramchhuanga mentioned that he had been approached by Congress and Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) leaders to join their parties, but he was still considering his future course of action. He expressed his inability to continue holding an important position in the BJP or even remain as a primary member of a party that endorses attacks against Christians and their religious institutions.

The upcoming Assembly elections in Mizoram, scheduled for the end of this year, may be impacted by the ethnic conflict in Manipur and the BJP’s perceived failure to address the crisis, according to Vanramchhuanga. While the BJP performed well in recent local body and tribal autonomous council elections, the Manipur conflict has severely affected the party’s prospects in Mizoram.

Vanramchhuanga’s resignation marks the first instance of a BJP leader quitting the party in protest against the violence in Manipur, which was sparked by a tribal organization opposing the recognition of the Meitei community as Scheduled Tribe. The ongoing violence has resulted in numerous casualties and injuries.

In response to the violence, a protest rally was held in Aizawl, where hundreds of individuals from different communities expressed their opposition to the ethnic violence in Manipur. The ZO Reunification Organisation (ZORO), the organizer of the rally, demanded an immediate cessation of the violence and the creation of a separate state for the tribals in Manipur. R. Sangkawia, President of ZORO, condemned the attacks on the Zo ethnic people in Manipur and criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the matter despite more than two months of violence.